AEROSMITH Bassist TOM HAMILTON's New Band CLOSE ENEMIES Announces First Live Show

AEROSMITH bassist Tom Hamilton's new band CLOSE ENEMIES will make its live debut on October 11 at Eastside Bowl in Nashville, Tennessee.

Joining the 72-year-old musician in the new group his bass tech Trace Foster, who plays guitar in CLOSE ENEMIES alongside Peter Stroud, who has been playing with Sheryl Crow for 25 years. CLOSE ENEMIES' drummer is Tony Brock, who had a band called THE BABYS and then played with Rod Stewart for 12 years. Fronting CLOSE ENEMIES is Chasen Hampton, a performer from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma with a strong background in the country music scene. CLOSE ENEMIES is also working with "a great lyricist" named Gary Stier.

Earlier today (Friday, September 27),Hamilton took to his account on X (formerly Twitter) to share a photo of a CLOSE ENEMIES rehearsal and he included the following message: "Hey, I need to tell you something about a band I'm playing with called CLOSE ENEMIES. We have a bunch of good songs recorded. We're going to release one soon. Meanwhile, we're doing a show in Nashville on October 11 in Nashville at a place called Eastside Bowl. Please come!!"

In a recent interview with Guitar World, Hamilton said that he has "been keeping busy playing in a band we're calling CLOSE ENEMIES. We've recorded a bunch of killer songs and we're getting closer to deciding how we're going to put it out. Can't wait!"

In a separate interview with AARP, Tom described Hampton as "a gifted singer who really made the songs come to life."

"When I joined, these guys had worked up a bunch of great songs, and I was able to contribute something I had," the bassist continued. "Hopefully, when the time comes, we'll work up some others I've had in my pocket for a while. All of these guys are great musicians, and it's an honor and a challenge to be part of it all. I'm looking forward to seeing how people like it. I think they'll be pleasantly amazed."

The members of AEROSMITH made the announcement that they were retiring from touring on August 2 — nearly one year after singer Steven Tyler fractured his larynx during a September 2023 show.

The "Peace Out" tour came to a halt after what turned out to be a final gig in Elmont, New York on September 9, 2023. That show came just three dates into the trek, which was supposed to last through February 2024. Tyler said in a statement at the time that the injury caused bleeding but that he hoped he and his AEROSMITH bandmates would be back on the road after postponing a few shows.

The rescheduled "Peace Out" tour was due to begin September 20 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with special guests THE BLACK CROWES.